College Sells Site To Fund New, 22/10/04
Merton College has agreed to sell the Central Road Sixth
Form Centre site to KingsOak, a division of Barratt
Developments, the well-known UK housebuilder, in a deal
worth over £16 million.
The sixth form centre itself is being moved to a new,
specially designed, centre within the main campus on
London Road. Work started there earlier this summer
on a £28 million regeneration project to extend
and refurbish the facilities, with completion expected
in early 2007.KingsOak will take over the Central Road
site in the second half of 2007.
The Central Road site has outline planning permission
for residential redevelopment, which was secured by
Merton College following an appeal to the Secretary
of State last year. Working in conjunction with Merton
Council and local community, KingsOak envisage submitting
a detailed planning application in the early part of
2006.
“This is the final piece of the jigsaw,” said Sally
McEnhill, principal of Merton College, “and the most
significant as it represents the bulk of the funding
for the redevelopment of Merton College as a whole.
“It represents an excellent deal for the college, and
a sale which we have had to work very hard for both
in terms of gaining outline planning permission for
the site and then negotiating with the various developers
that expressed an interest."
Richard Teare, responsible for the purchase for KingsOak,
said: “We are very pleased to have secured this prime
site in Merton. We have great plans for the site, which
we will be looking to discuss with the local community
before submitting to the council for consideration.
“The sixth form centre has been a major focal point
for the local community for some time, and it is our
intention that any new scheme put forward will enhance
the local environment."
ENDS
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